System and method for searching for information on inventory with virtual warehouses

• US 7,251,622 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Alex, Chen, Hark, Yan, Brina
• Primary Examiner(s): GORT, ELAINE L
• Application Number:
  US10/157,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20030135433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

A system and method for searching for inventory information using a computerized virtual warehouse. The system includes a plurality of operation terminals (62) located in various warehouses (6) for inputting information on inventory received in and sent out from the warehouses, a database (21) for storing the information input by the operation terminals, and a virtual warehouse searching module (201) installed in a central management unit (200) for searching for the information on the inventory. The virtual warehouse searching module provides a computer-generated three-dimensional diagram of each warehouse which closely simulates an actual layout of the warehouse. A quantity searching module (202) is for searching for a quantity of inventory in each storage area of any warehouse using a computer-generated three-dimensional diagram. A total cost searching module (203) is for searching for a total cost of inventory in each storage area of any warehouse using a computer-generated three-dimensional diagram.

Claims

1. A system for searching for information on inventory stored in at least one warehouse, the system comprising:

at least one operation terminal located in the at least one warehouse for inputting information on inventory;

a plurality of storage areas in the at least one warehouse which stores inventory;

a database which stores and updates the information input by die at least one operation terminal, the information comprising item name, a specification, quantity, department, unit price, and a storage area where the inventory is stored; and

a central management unit comprising;

a virtual warehouse searching module for searching for the information on the inventory stored in the database, the virtual warehouse searching module providing a computer-generated three-dimensional diagram of the at least one warehouse which simulates actual layout of the at least one warehouse, the diagram comprising a plurality of storage area icons representing storage areas of the at least one warehouse, wherein by clicking on an icon a user obtains corresponding information on inventory located in the area represented by the icon, and wherein the central management unit further comprises a total cost searching module providing a computer-generated three-dimensional diagram of total cost of the inventory in various storage areas of the at least one warehouse.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central management unit further comprises a quantity searching module providing a computer generated three-dimensional diagram of quantity of the inventory in the at least one warehouse.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional diagram of quantity comprises a plurality of columns showing quantity of inventory in various storage areas of the at least one warehouse, a height of each of the columns corresponding to a quantity of the inventory in a corresponding storage area.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional diagram of total cost comprises a plurality of columns showing total cost of inventory in various storage areas of the at least one warehouse, a height of each of the columns corresponding to a total cost of the inventory in a corresponding storage area.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a communications network through which a user can retrieve the information stored in the database.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the communications network comprises a network selected from the group consisting of intranets and the Internet.